Larry and Balki's Egg-cellent Adventure
by Aurora Lenore
Summary: Larry thinks he's already having a bad day when Balki comes home with a wild tale. But pretty soon, Larry sees for himself that Balki isn't so ridiculous when they meet a young inventor with a working time machine, bringing together the past, present and a bleak future. Reviews are welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I do NOT own Perfect Strangers, the characters or anything affiliated with the show.

 **Chapter One**

"Finally," Larry Appleton sighed as he plopped down on his sofa and propped his feet on the coffee table. It had been a long time since he had been this exhausted. He had just finished hauling at least a ton of motor oil from the back of a truck and into storage for Mr. Twinkacetti, his boss. Mr. Twinkacetti was obnoxious and ruthless on a good day, but today was a _bad_ day. According to Larry's cousin and best friend Balki Bartokomous, "Mr. Twinkacetti got up on the wrong side of his head today". Speaking (or thinking) of his Myposian cousin, where exactly was he? He should have been back from the market by now…

Suddenly, the apartment door burst open and the aforementioned Balki dashed through like a madman, placing his grocery bags on the counter before jumping over the back of the sofa, expertly landing in the seat next to Larry. "Cousin, cousin; you are not to believe what happened to me today!" he gushed excitedly in his thick accent.

"Let me guess. The lady at the check-out counter told you the pig snout was on sale," Larry drawled sarcastically. Sometimes it annoyed Larry how Balki could get excited about the least little thing. Other times, he envied his foreign cousin for that same trait. After today, however, it was more annoyance than envy.

"No! Better! I saw a woman in the store driving an egg! Can you believe it? Only in America!"

Larry slowly turned his head towards Balki, eyeing him as if he had grown two sets of ears. "I'm sorry; did you say you saw a woman in the store driving an _egg_? Balki, that's not possible! I'm sure you were just mistaken."

"No, Cousin, she was driving big, giant egg! She forgot a magazine at the check-out and I ran after her in parking lot. That's when I saw her jump into a giant egg and BOOP! She vanish into dim air!"

"Balki, Balki, Balki;" Larry tsked-tsked. "How many times have you thought you saw something only to be mistaken?"

"But, Cousin–"

"Balki, how many times?"

"Cous–"

"How many times have you thought you saw something only to be mistaken?"

Balki rolled his eyes and looked away before quietly answering. "A lot."

"That's right; a lot. So I'm sure this is just one of those times. You have to think logically." Larry was opening his mouth to continue his lecture when they heard a loud buzzing noise outside their apartment door.

"I think there's a giant bee outside," Balki whispered, grabbing Larry by the sleeve of his blue sweater as they quickly walked towards the door.

Larry counted to three before throwing the door open. What he saw sitting outside in the hallway made his already pale face turn completely ashen.

"What that?" Balki asked condescendingly, knowing full well the answer.

"It's a giant _egg_!" Larry gaped, looking it over. The bottom half of the egg was painted a deep blue color, while the top half was made of a Plexiglas material. As he peered through the Plexiglass, he saw that there was a small monitor with all sort of switches, dials, and blinking lights underneath. It looked like something out of a science-fiction movie.

"This was the egg I saw the woman driving! She bring it for us to see!" Balki exclaimed, searching around the egg for a door.

"Balki, don't touch it! You don't know where it's been!" Larry barked, but Balki managed to find the door and he opened it happily.

"Cousin, come inside; the water's fine!" he told him, holding the door open for him.

"Balki! Get out of that egg right now!" Larry demanded.

"No, Cousin!"

"Balki, I said get out of that thing right now!"

"Nuh-uh," Balki shook his head.

Furious, Larry stormed over to the door and grabbed Balki's arm. Balki was stronger, however, and he grabbed Larry by the front of his shirt and effortlessly pulled him inside.

"Don't you ever–EVER do that again," Larry seethed, his face inches away from Balki's.

"Oh, Cousin, don't work yourself into a dizzy. See? Nothing bad is happening. We just wait for nice woman to come back and we–"

Suddenly, the egg began to hum as if were coming to life and Larry clung to Balki, both terrified and infuriated. "You were saying?" he replied through gritted teeth.

"Fling me up, Scotty!" was the last thing Balki said before the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Bianca Pierson wrung her hands nervously as she paced back and forth inside her bedroom. She knew she should have _never_ tested her time machine in the daytime, but she just couldn't stop herself. She was desperate to go back in time to 1986 to purchase the magazine which featured her favorite band on the cover. Instead, she completely botched it up, causing some strange man to see her in the parking lot and then lose the magazine altogether. To make matters worse, she had attempted to go back in time to retrieve it, only to be distracted by the phone. As soon as she exited the machine to answer the phone, the machine just–BOOP–left without her. Now she had no idea who might see it or what had happened to it. The only good news was that–through using her smartphone–she was able to communicate with it and order it to come back to the present time. The waiting was the hardest part. It still had some kinks to be worked out and she was eager to fix them immediately.

Suddenly, she heard a buzzing sound coming from the garage and she let out a small cry of relief. "Mama's coming!" she shouted, racing down the hallway and through the kitchen to the door of the garage. Bianca practically hugged the machine when she saw it, but decided to refrain from theatrics. Besides, she had some serious glitches to fix first. Throwing open the door, she lifted her foot to step inside, but something caused her entire body to freeze. On the floor of her machine, lying in a jumbled unconscious heap, were two strange men. One was wearing a bright blue sweater with a plaid collared shirt underneath, khaki pants and penny loafers. His auburn curly hair was matted to his forehead and he had a look of panic on his comatose face. The other man was wearing a red button down shirt with a black sweater vest, black pants cut off just above the knee, black knee socks and matching shoes with red laces. His dark neck-length hair was tousled, but his expression was like a child having a pleasant dream. How could this happen? Bianca slowly backed away from her creation, terrified. What on Earth was she going to do now?

"Mmph," the curly-haired man moaned as he slowly moved. Bianca watched as the other man began to wake up as well. She couldn't let them see her, could she?

Quickly, she grabbed a baseball bat that was leaned against the garage wall and shakily held it over her shoulder, ready to strike.

"Balki, what happened?" Curls mumbled, rubbing his head. "Last thing I remember, we were in this giant–"

Before Curls could finish, both his and his companion's eyes shot open and looked straight up at Bianca, ready to strike.

"Aaahh!" they both screamed as they realized their doom. The screaming startled Bianca, however, and she dropped the bat on the garage floor with a loud clatter.

"What-what are you doing in my–in my–," Bianca sputtered.

The guy named Balki grinned up at her and pointed. "You are the woman from the market! I tried to catch you, but your egg was too fast for Balki!" he told her in a thick accent.

"Wait; that was _you_?" Bianca gaped as he stood up and helped Curls to his feet, as well.

"Here you go," Balki said, pulling said magazine from his back pants pocket and handing it to her.

Bianca looked down at it, unsure of what to say or feel.

"Great," Curls smiled nervously. "Now that you gave this nice lady back her magazine, we can go back to our apartment and forget that this nightmare ever happened."

"Yes. Thank you for the ride. It was egg-citing," Balki replied before slapping his legs and throwing his arms up in the air. "Where do I come _up_ with them?"

Bianca smoothed her shoulder-length copper hair and smiled. "Um, I'm Bianca, by the way."

"Hello, Bianca," Balki greeted, hugging her. "I am Balki Bartokomous and this is Cousin Larry App-leton."

"Bianca, nice to meet you; now come on Balki, let's go," Cousin Larry said hurriedly, grabbing Balki by his wrist.

"Wait!" Bianca called out as they started to walk away. "You, uh, can't go."

Balki turned to Larry, wide-eyed. "She going to take us home now in her egg!"

Bianca cleared her throat nervously. "Actually, that's not why you can't go."

"Well then why don't you _tell_ us why we can't go home now?" Larry asked, eyebrow raised.

"Because you're twenty-seven years into the future. This isn't nineteen-eighty-six; this is two-thousand-thirteen," she admitted quickly, scrunching her face up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Balki couldn't believe his ears; they were in the future! Apparently, he wasn't the only one.

"I'm sorry; did you just say that we're twenty-seven years into the _future_?" Larry asked, his beady eyes boring into Bianca's. "That's impossible! Time travel only happens in..in science fiction movies and childhood nightmares. That's what this is–a nightmare–nothing but a nightmare I'm having from eating all those pork rinds before bed."

"Cousin, if you are in your nightmare, why am I here?" Balki asked.

"Because you're just an apparition _inside_ my nightmare! When I count to ten, I'm going to wake up…one…two…"

"Cousin, I am not an apple's mission! I am Balki and she is Bianca from the future," Balki explained. "Oh, this is so exciting! Tell me; does Gilligan ever get off the island?"

"I–I think so," Bianca replied slowly. "Larry, I'm sorry to tell you, but Balki is right. This isn't a dream. I never meant for this to happen. I traveled back in time only to get this magazine, but the machine has a few kinks that need to be worked out."

Balki watched as Larry ran his hands through his hair, muttering over and over "this can't be happening; this is _not_ happening." Sometimes, he could be so Mello-Yello dramatic.

"Is he always like this?" Bianca whispered.

"No," Balki waved his hand at her. "Sometimes he much worse. Do you have any antacid?"

"Look, Larry," Bianca ignored Balki as she touched Larry's sleeve. "I can get you two back home. All you have to do is just get back inside the machine and I can take you back to nineteen-eighty-six again. No problem."

Larry looked at her in hopeful surprise. "You can? Well, then, Balki; what are we waiting for?"

"But Cousin, I want to visit my future for little while longer. Can't we stay for just a little while?"

"No, Balki, we can't. Now get in the egg."

"But Cousin, I want to see what the future is like!" Balki pressed.

"Balki, I said no. Now get–"

"I want to stay in the future," Balki sobbed, placing his hands over his face.

Larry looked skyward before throwing his hands up in the air. "Alright, _alright_ ; if it's okay with Bianca, we can stay for just a little while."

"Yay," Balki cried happily, looking at Bianca expectantly. "Oh, can we?"

Bianca shrugged. "Fine by me. R.O.B. can show you around while I work on the machine."

"Who Rob?" Balki asked, the smile never leaving his face.

"I am R.O.B.," a tinny, robotic voice answered from behind, causing Larry to jump a foot in the air.

"Oh, hello, R.O.B.!" Balki waved fervently at the blue and white robot with light blue lights for eyes and red lights for a mouth.

"Balki, do you know what that _is_?" Larry asked, seemingly repulsed.

"Well of course I do, don't be ridiculous," Balki replied, looking away somewhat sheepishly. "He just told us."

Larry reached out and grabbed Balki's arms. "He's a _robot_ from the _future_! We're doomed!"

Bianca laughed. "Larry, you've been watching way too many science-fiction and horror flicks. R.O.B. is harmless. He helps me around the house. I should know he's harmless because I built him."

"You built this?" Larry asked, a look of surprise and admiration blanketing his face.

Bianca nodded happily. "Sure did. In fact, R.O.B. stands for Robot of Bianca's. It's not the most scientific name, but it serves its purpose."

"Cousin, I want a robot like R.O.B. when we go home," Balki requested.

"Balki," Larry interjected. "R.O.B. doesn't exist in the past. You _can't_ own something that doesn't exist yet."

"Balki, I promise that when you go home, I will build a robot just for you to take home in two-thousand-thirteen, okay?" Bianca told him.

"Wow. This time-travel stuff is confusing. I don't know whether I'm coming or coming."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Cousin, look!"

Larry walked over to the television–which was extremely large yet flat–and smiled down at Balki. "What is it?"

"Over six-hundred channels! You could watch television _forever_!"

Suddenly, Larry leaned over the back of the chair and blinked. "I've seen that guy on TV before, but where?"

"I don't know where. I must have gone to the bathroom and missed him," Balki replied.

"The show you are watching is called _The Bronson Pinchot Project_ ," R.O.B. informed them.

"Balki, that guy doesn't look familiar to you at all?" Larry asked.

Balki quickly turned off the TV in boredom. "Nope. Never seen him. Cousin, what you find in the future?"

Larry grabbed his friend by the wrist and showed him something on a nearby desk that resembled a smaller television. "This little computer is like a tiny encyclopedia! I can look up whatever I want to on it by typing it in that box at the top," he said excitedly.

"Cousin, will it tell us of Mypos? I want to know what has changed since nineteen-eighty-six!"

Larry smiled. "I'm not sure, but I can try it."

"Fabulous! You look while R.O.B. shows me where the bathroom is. I want to see how plumbing had changed!"

"You do that," Larry clapped Balki on the back before returning to the small televised encyclopedia. He couldn't believe that he was ready to jump right back in the egg and go home when there were so many amazing things and devices in the future! "Okay, Mypos; let's see how the sheep herding business is," he mumbled as he typed in the small Mediterranean island.

Suddenly, the image changed to reveal a news article dated in two-thousand-ten.

"Mypos–now known as Atropo–was a small Mediterranean island known best for its sheep-herding and farming. In two-thousand-eight, a group of settlers calling themselves Ky-Dels took over the island, forcing the Myposians off their land and re-naming it Atropo. The land is now known for its tourist attractions, such as mega-million dollar casinos and elaborate stage shows. 'Atropo is working to become a foreign version of Las Vegas,' Atropo's mayor Liki Bopado stated in an earlier interview…" Larry stopped reading and ran his hands through his hair nervously. How on Earth could he tell his best friend that the land he called home and his family were completely gone?

"Cousin, you are not going to believe this, but R.O.B. show me the bathroom and says all the plumbing is motion-aggravated! The toilet flushes by itself and the sink faucet drips water without me turning it _on_! What you find about Mypos?"

Quickly, Larry turned the televised encyclopedia off and stood up. "I tried looking it up, but I think it's broken. Maybe we can try it later," he lied. "Why don't you watch some more television and I'll let Bianca know her–thing–needs repairing."

Balki looked at Larry puzzled before he nodded his head and smiled. "Okay."

As soon as Balki began his endless channel-surfing, Larry dashed to the other side of the house and into the garage like a madman. "Bianca!"

Bianca was working inside the egg, lying underneath the blinking dashboard. When she heard Larry's call, she shot up, hitting her head. "Ouch. Larry, what's wrong?"

Larry helped her to her feet and stared at her, panic-stricken. "We've got to go back home _now_!"

"Why? What happened?"

"I was looking up things on your encyclopedia computer thingy–"

"It's called a laptop and the encyclopedia is called the internet–"

"Laptop, internet, whatever! Balki asked me to look up Mypos and I did! Bianca, Mypos doesn't exist anymore! It was taken over by some tribe called the Ky-Dels! We have to get out of here as soon as possible. He's asking me what I found and I don't have the heart to tell him! I can't tell him! What are we going to do?" Larry said, his voice cracking from the sheer anxiety.

"Larry, calm down! Call Balki down here and I can send the both of you home. I worked out the problem I had earlier and now he doesn't have to know."

"You did?" Larry asked.

"I did," Bianca smiled.

"You did?" he repeated, sounding more hopeful.

"I did! " Bianca laughed.

Larry laughed along with her and hugged her with relief. Thank God for great news!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Balki, turn off the TV and say goodbye to R.O.B.; we're going home," Larry cried out happily as he entered Bianca's living room.

"She get the machine fixed?" Balki asked, feeling both happy and sad at the same time. While he wanted to go home and back to his apartment, he would miss Bianca, R.O.B., the six-hundred channels and the self-flushing toilet.

"Yes. Goodbye R.O.B., goodbye internet, goodbye fancy house and goodbye two-thousand-thirteen!" Larry sang, grabbing Balki's wrist.

"Goodbye, R.O.B. Nice knowing you," Balki said hurriedly as he was dragged away.

When they reached the garage, Balki noticed immediately that Bianca's smile was not as bright as it was earlier. "Bianca, you can come with us and stay for a few days if you want," he offered, ignoring the warning glance from Larry. "We no have robots or memory floam mattress, but we have indoor plumbing and a sofa that turns into a bed!"

"Balki–" Larry began, already halfway inside the egg.

"Plus, you could meet Mr. Twinkacetti–our boss–and Jennifer and Mary Anne!"

"Balki, let's go now so we can see Jennifer and Mary Anne. I'm sure Jennifer is worried sick by now. She's probably already called the police and they've sent out a search party," Larry replied, losing himself in his thoughts.

"Cousin, we've only been gone few hours! I'm sure Jennifer doesn't even know you are missing," Balki responded with a casual wave of his hand.

Larry looked over at Balki, eyes narrowed, but said nothing.

"Goodbye, Balki," Bianca sniffed, hugging him. "Thank you for the magazine."

"You're welcome," Balki replied, sheepishly looking away. "You come visit anytime."

"Balki, come on. If we go now, we can beat the five o'clock rush," Larry told him.

"Okay, Cousin." Balki stepped inside the egg and Bianca slowly closed the door.

"I've told it where to go, so just hit that red button that says 'Power' and you should be off," Bianca instructed them.

"Cousin, can I hit the button?"

Larry sighed. "Yes, Balki; you can hit the button."

"Should I hit it hard or just tap it?"

"I'm sure if you tap it, it should be fine."

"But maybe I should just hold it down for–"

"Balki!" Larry hissed, eyes boring into Balki's. "Just…press…the button."

"Okay, Cousin; don't drop your marbles," Balki retorted before hitting the red button."Goodbye, Bianca!"

Larry closed his eyes, but no beeping, buzzing or vibrating could be heard.

"Cousin? You can open your eyes now," Balki sang softly.

"What? Are we back already?" Larry opened his eyes to see…the garage and a confused Bianca. "Balki, I thought you pushed the button!"

"I did, Cousin!"

"Let me try it," Larry moved Balki out of the way as he hit the button harder and longer.

Still nothing.

Balki scratched his head and shrugged at Bianca. He felt sorry for her. She had worked so hard on her giant egg and now it didn't seem to work at all. "Cousin, something must be wrong," he told Larry.

"Oh, you think? Whatever gave you that idea, Balki?" he snapped. Opening the door, he fixated his anger at Bianca. "I thought you told me you had fixed it?"

"I–I did! I fixed everything that–that needed fixing," she stammered, touching a large flat pad that showed a checklist. "See? Everything that needed technological work has been taken care of and checked off."

"Well, it looks like you forgot something!" Balki stepped in between Larry and Bianca when he saw his cousin's head looked as if it might pop off like a bottle socket.

"Cousin, you leave Bianca alone," he shook his finger at him. "Now she say she fix everything psychological and I believe her. Why you think she would lie to us?"

"I don't know, Balki; maybe it's because we don't know her as well as we think we do and she wants to keep us here for scientific reasons!" Larry spat.

"Look, Larry; I don't want to argue with you. I swear I did everything I could. I don't know why the machine isn't working, but I've been working for four hours and I need a break!" Bianca cried, near tears.

"She's right, Cousin. She has been working so hard. What she needs is a beaver."

Larry raised an eyebrow at his cousin. "A beaver?"

"I think he means a breather and he's right. I'm sorry, Larry, but we're going to have to postpone you're return until I can get my bearings back and figure out what's wrong," Bianca sighed.

"Staying here for little while longer won't be so bad, Cousin," Balki smiled. "Once she gets her earrings back, we can go home then."

Larry sighed reluctantly. "Fine. But what are we going to do now?"

Suddenly, Balki's eyes lit up. "Tonight, we spray-paint the town red!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Bianca felt better than she had in a long time as she walked down the city sidewalk arm-in-arm with an enthusiastic Balki. Larry walked on the other side of her, but his arms remained to his sides, looking as if he'd eaten one too many lemons. She wasn't about to let his sour attitude ruin the night, however.

"Hey, you guys want to go in this coffee shop?" she asked as they passed Dulce Café.

"Fine," Larry answered sullenly while Balki nodded his head. "But just know that I never promised to have fun tonight."

"Cousin, no need to worry. You cannot have something you don't."

Thankfully, as they entered, hardly anyone was inside and the three of them were able to walk right up to the counter. "Yes, I'll have a double caramel mocha latte swirl with extra mocha," Bianca ordered expertly.

Larry looked up at her, puzzled. "Wait; what did you just order? I thought we were having coffee?"

"Larry, coffee is still coffee, but there are other things on the menu. Cafés have really gotten quite elaborate lately and with far more choices," Bianca told him.

Balki scratched his head. "I not know what I want, nor can I say half of this menu! Bianca, can you help me?"

"Sure. We'll try something simple for you. "Hey, Rob," she told the clerk, "can I have a light French Vanilla cappuccino?"

"Sure thing," Rob nodded before looking at Larry. "What about you?"

"Cousin likes his coffee drinks strong," Balki offered.

"Okay, then maybe you should try the Triple Morning Delight cappuccino," Bianca offered to Larry. "It's coffee with a kick."

"Fine," Larry nodded, still sounding surly.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the threesome had finished their drinks. "Balki, did you enjoy the French Vanilla?" she asked.

"Coffee from the future tastes wonderful! Thank you for helping me. Cousin, what did you think of your hot beverage?"

Bianca looked over to see Larry shaking from head to toe. "It was fine; great! Never had coffee like that in my life. Do they have any more? What time is it?" he gushed without talking so much as a breath.

"Um, I think the Triple Morning Delight might have had a little too much caffeine," Bianca grimaced.

Balki reached over and felt of his cousin's chest. "Cousin, your heart is racing faster than a hamster doing a wheelie."

"We better go," Bianca told them, getting up and helping an unsteady Larry to his feet.

"Where we go to now?" Balki asked.

Bianca thought for a moment. They needed to eat something, but she couldn't think of a restaurant that would seem interesting to two people from nineteen-eighty-six.

Suddenly, a bus passed by with an advertisement plastered on the side. "I know where we can grab something to eat! There's this new restaurant in town called Reece's. I hear it's pretty nice and they usually have a show or something. I think just last week they had a famous comedian perform."

"Get out of the city!" Balki cried. "Cousin, let's go eat dinner and see a show. Then maybe you'll feel better."

"Okay, fine. But we'll sit in the back." Larry hissed, running a shaking hand through his hair.

"Why do you want to sit in the very back?" Bianca asked.

"So people won't notice that I look one step away from having a seizure!"

Balki looked at Larry quickly. "What kind of procedure are you stepping away from?"

Larry growled. "Not procedure; a seizure…seizure…seizure!" he grabbed Balki by the arms, shaking him.

"Okay, okay, Larry; he got it!" Bianca pulled him away, praying she could get them to Reece's before the man had a caffeine-induced nervous breakdown.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Table for three?" the waiter asked politely as soon as they entered. Bianca noded and looked around. It was incredibly crowded for a weeknight, but everyone there seemed to be having a nice time. She hoped some of their good vibes would rub off on Larry.

"I thought you said we could sit in the back?" Larry asked out of the side of his mouth as they took a table directly in front of the stage.

"They didn't have a table in the back," she growled in reply.

The waiter placed three menus and three glasses of water in front of them and smiled. "Let me know when you're ready," he told them.

"Excuse me, but who is to be performing tonight?" Balki asked.

"It's karaoke night," the waiter replied before walking away.

"Oh goody!"

Bianca looked at Balki. "You two know about karaoke?"

"Well, of course we do; don't be ridiculous! She from the Wild West!"

Larry nodded his head, his curly hair shaking. "No, Balki; that's Annie Oakley. We don't know what karaoke is."

Bianca smiled. "Karaoke is when people get up on stage and sing along to their favorite songs. They mute the original artist's vocals and you sing their part! It's a lot of fun."

"That does sound like fun! Cousin, we could do the Blues Brothers!" Balki slapped Larry's shoulder.

"No, we couldn't. There is no way you're getting me on that stage. No way, no how. If you want to embarrass yourself in front of all these people, go ahead, but I'm staying right here," Larry told him matter-of-factly.

"Cousin, don't be an electric blanket. It sounds like fun."

Bianca laughed. "After we eat, you can see how it's done. Who knows? I might even go up there and give it a try."

* * *

Forty minutes later, the three had eaten until they were completely full. Even Larry looked as if he had relaxed a little, the water reducing the effects of the caffeine. As soon as the DJ announced karaoke had begun, Balki looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Okay, you see that woman? She goes over to the DJ and picks a song from this big book. They have all kinds of songs to choose from; new and old. Then the DJ plays it and she sings alo–" Bianca stopped and placed her fingers in her ears. "Of course, it helps if the person onstage can actually sing."

Larry grimaced. "Someone please hit the gong, already!"

Even Balki frowned. "She sound like Mr. Twinkacetti when he's in pain."

Thankfully, Bianca knew this was a short song and as soon as the lady was finished, she was met with scattered applause. "My turn. I'm going to show this place how it's done."

Bianca swallowed her nerves and ran onstage. She knew exactly what song to sing. She wanted it to be a feel-good song that Balki and Larry had never heard before. She just hoped all that practice in the shower had paid off.

"This song is for my two new friends," she announced on the microphone before the song "Good Time" by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen. Once she started singing, she looked down at their table. Balki was moving along to the music in his seat, while Larry was sinking in his. How could two people be so completely different yet be so close?

Quickly, she reached out and took Balki's hand, leading him onstage. He didn't hesitate to jump up beside her and move to the music, smiling at her as she sang every note.

"We don't even have to try; it's always a good time…" she sang, having one of the best nights she'd had in a long time. At least Balki was feeling the same way–

Suddenly, she noticed Balki was no longer up onstage with her, but back at the table, trying to coax Larry to join them. As expected, Larry shook his head fervently until Balki pulled back his chair with Larry still in it, wrapped his arms around his cousin's waist and literally carried Larry onstage. Larry was fuming, but once he was beside her and Balki, he knew he was caught like a deer in headlights.

"Doesn't matter when, it's always a good time then…" she sang, trying not to forget the lyrics with everything going on. Balki was doing everything within him to get Larry to move, but Larry just stood frozen in fear until Bianca danced over to him, grabbed his hand and forced him to twirl her.

Suddenly, the spell had been broken. Larry looked at her and actually smiled, his own body semi-swaying back and forth. By the time the song had ended, Larry was moving as well–if not better–than Balki.

The applause was deafening, but Balki surprisingly held up his hand to silence them before turning to Larry. "Cousin, are you happy?" he asked.

"Why yes, Balki. I am happy," Larry replied.

"We so happy, we do the Dance of Joy!" Balki cried.

Bianca watched as onstage, in front of everyone, Balki and Larry did a crazy jig that ended up with both of them lifting each other up before Larry jumped in Balki's arms altogether. Bianca laughed as not only the audience applauded, but they gave them a standing ovation!

As if the night couldn't get any better, Balki grabbed Bianca's hand and the three of them bowed in unison before jumping offstage and running out of the restaurant.

"Oh my, that was so much fun!" Bianca gasped, clutching her chest.

"I–I've never done anything like that in my entire life!" Larry said, surprised before turning to Balki. "Thanks, Balki. Thanks for getting me up on that stage and reminding me that sometimes, I just need to let loose."

"Oh, Cousin; you're welcome. Anytime you need to watch Footloose and sing "Fancy Free", you just let me know."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Whew! Man, I am beat!" Larry stretched as R.O.B. entered his room with an extra blanket. "Thank you, R.O.B."

"Your welcome," R.O.B. replied. "Good night."

Larry smiled as the robot left the room. He almost felt bad for taking the guest room away from Balki and making him sleep on the couch. Almost. Bianca had flipped a coin for it and Larry actually won (he'd have to make note of that accomplishment in his journal when they returned home). Not that Balki minded. Balki would've been happy sleeping outside, come to think of it. "You can't keep a good Myposian down," he said aloud, turning down the bed and climbing inside. The coffee had worn off and after the unbelievable day they had, he was completely exhausted. Normally, he would've been panicking at the fact that not only were they not home, but Bianca still didn't know what was wrong. Tonight, however, as he turned the light off and snuggled under the covers, he felt things would work out for the best. He had learned so much about the future and tried new things. For once in his life, Larry didn't feel tied down to the monotony of the world. He felt alive and willing to embrace new ideas and concepts. It had been so long since he felt this much at peace. Things couldn't get any better.

"Cousin? Are you asleep?" Balki's voice whispered through the crack in the door.

Larry reached over and turned on the bedside table lamp. "No. What is it, buddy?"

"I–I can't sleep."

Larry sat up and looked at him empathetically. "Hard to sleep in a new place? Balki, I understand, but I'm sure if you close your eyes and pretend you're back in the apartment, things will–"

"It not that," Balki interrupted. "I cannot sleep because Dimitri is not here. Ever since I was a little boy, I have Dimitri to watch over me as I sleep. This is the first night that I don't have him and now I cannot sleep."

"Balki, I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to try and sleep without your stuffed sheep. I'm sure if Bianca could, she'd try to get him for you, but the machine is broken and there's no way to bring Dimitri here. You'll just have to sleep without him for one night. I'm sure you'll be just fine."

"Cousin, you don't understand. Dimitri is not just some stuffed sheep. He makes me feel safe. I need him so I can fall asleep."

Larry rubbed his hands over his face and tried to remain calm. Sometimes, it was like living with a six-year old! "Balki; I'm sorry, but Dimitri is stuck back in nineteen-eighty-six and we are stuck here in two-thousand-thirteen. He can't come here and you can't go back there. Why don't you just ask Bianca if she has something you can borrow so you can pretend it's Dimitri?"

"But–"

"Balki, talk to Bianca and go to sleep!" Larry growled, switching off the light and landing on his pillow with a plop.

"O-okay, Cousin. Good night," Balki replied softly, closing the bedroom door.

Larry exhaled, erasing the conversation from his mind before sleep enveloped him.

"Wha–?" Larry sat up quickly as a noise jolted him awake. Was he dreaming? He looked over at the clock to see that it was three in the morning. He had been asleep for maybe three and a half hours. Rubbing his eyes, he threw his legs over the side of the bed and wandered into the living room to check on Balki. He knew he was probably asleep, but he wondered if Bianca had given him a stuffed bear or dog to sleep with instead of Dimitri.

Suddenly, Larry stopped cold. The sofa was empty! Only blankets and pillows remained, but Balki was nowhere in sight. "Balki?" he whispered, walking towards the bathroom. He knocked on the door before slowly opening it, but Balki wasn't there, either. Walking back down the hallway, he saw R.O.B. in the far left corner, charging for the night. Turning back around, he headed for Bianca's room. Maybe he had fallen asleep in there or Bianca knew where he had gone.

"Bianca?" he asked softly, tapping on her door.

"Huh? Larry? What time is it?" she mumbled on the other side.

"It's three o'clock. I'm sorry to wake you, but have you seen Balki?"

Larry waited as he heard her stumble to the door and open it. Her copper hair was tousled and she looked almost angelic in her cream colored satin pajamas. "No, I've been asleep. Is he not on the couch?"

"No. I looked. He's not in the kitchen or the bathroom so I thought maybe he fell asleep in here after he talked to you."

Bianca exited the room and gave Larry a strange look. "Balki never came to my room to talk to me."

Larry smiled thinly. "Well, of course he did! He told me last night that he couldn't sleep without his stuffed sheep Dimitri and I told him to ask you if you had any stuffed animals he could sleep with. He told me he would ask you."

"Well, he didn't," Bianca replied, more alert now. "Where on Earth do you think he could be?"

Larry scratched his head. "Well, if he wasn't in my room or the sofa or the bathroom or your room, then he might just be–"

"The garage!" both of them exclaimed, dashing through the kitchen frantically.

As they reached the garage, Larry and Bianca instinctively grabbed each other for support when they saw that their worst fears had come true. Balki–and the time machine–were gone!


	9. Chapter 9

SIDE NOTE: The portion of text with the asterisks represent a conversation that occured in the past.

 **Chapter Nine**

"Mmph," Balki moaned as he opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his aching head. The last thing he remembered, he had been inside Bianca's time machine, trying to see if maybe he could help he and his cousin return home. He remembered as R.O.B. walked in on him just before he entered the giant egg.

*"Are you sure you know what you are doing?" R.O.B. had asked.

"Well of course I do; don't be ridiculous," Balki had replied.

"Then what are you doing?" R.O.B. queried.

"I have no idea," Balki responded. "R.O.B., can you help me?"

"Where do you wish to go?"

Balki typed in the word Dimitri on the computer and smiled as the word showed up in green letters on the black screen. "I want to go back to Cousin Larry's apartment so I can get Dimitri. If I can bring him back, then Cousin Larry and I can go home when he wake up. Do you know how to fix the machine so I can do this?"

"Dimitri is from Mypos?" R.O.B. asked.

"Yes! Mama give him to me when I was a small boy! R.O.B., you are smarter than the actual bear!"

"Type in Mypos as well," R.O.B. told him and Balki watched as his homeland was now on the screen. "Now just push the red button."

"Oh, I cannot wait to bring Dimitri back from our apartment; Cousin will be so proud of me!" Balki clasped his hands together before pushing the button.*

Now, as Balki slowly sat up, he could've sworn he remembered hearing R.O.B. say something else, but he couldn't remember what it was. Peeking over the blue wall of the egg, he looked out to see if he was actually inside the apartment or in the parking area.

"This doesn't look like our apartment!" he gaped as he saw that he was in the middle of what looked to be a construction zone. Something was being built about three yards away, but what was it? How far was he from the apartment? He had to get out and ask for directions.

Spotting someone a minute later, he ran over and flagged them down. "Excuse me! My name is Balki Bartokomous and I was wondering if you could help me?"

The man–dressed in a suit that resembled multi-colored aluminum foil–looked at him skeptically. "Where did you say you were from, son?"

"I didn't say where I was from and why you call me Son? You look nothing like Papa."

"Well, I'm asking now: where are you from?"

"I live in Chicago but I am from Mypos," Balki replied, puffing out his chest as he mentioned his birthplace.

Suddenly, the Reynolds Wrapper man laughed loudly and looked up to where three more people were working on scaffolds. Balki noticed that they, too, were wearing the same clothes. "Hey, fellas! Get a load of this! This boy says he's from Mypos! We must've missed one!"

The three men laughed as well before making their way down to a confused Balki. Where exactly was he and who were these men saying he was missing?

"You said you're from Mypos?" a guy with cotton-white hair and sunglasses repeated.

"Yes. Do you know where that is?"

The first man laughed again. "Son, this WAS Mypos! We don't call it Mypos anymore, though. We call this island Atropos! The Ky-Dels took over this land a few years ago and got rid of all those goat-herders and land-lovers! We ain't seen a Myposian here for years," the man told him before getting inches from his face and snarling. "Until now."

"No; this cannot be true! I know nothing of Ky-Dels and my family being shipped away. I would know if this were to be. My cousin Larry would have told me."

"Well, your cousin Larry is either stupid or lied to you, boy! We haven't had a Myposian set foot on this land for five years now and we're not going to let one in now! This here's a metropolitan island and you bunch of sheep-loving foreigners aren't welcome! Now get off our land before we throw you in the ocean!"

"You tell 'em, Liki!" the white-haired man cried.

"Not until you tell me what happened to Mama and my family!" Balki snapped. He wanted to be brave, but he was trembling more than Elvis when he was "All Shook Up".

"We forced 'em off this land. Told them they had to leave. Do you really think we care where they went?" Liki growled. "Now are you going to leave peacefully or are we gonna have to get rid of you altogether?"

Balki backed away slowly as the four of them moved closer like lions spotting a baby zebra.

"HELP!" he screamed, not knowing what else to do. He only wished he had a chance to say goodbye to Bianca and his cousin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"I can't believe this! He went back to the apartment to get Dimitri," Larry cried, running his fingers through his hair. "I thought you said the machine didn't work?"

"It didn't! Larry, I don't think he's at the apartment. I don't know where he is!" Bianca squeaked. "R.O.B.! I need my iPad stat!"

In less than a minute, the robot wheeled into the garage, holding a large flat screen. "Here you go, Bianca," it said.

"Thank you," she exhaled as she quickly turned it on.

"Exactly how many screens do you have and how exactly is that going to bring Balki back?" Larry asked.

"If I can communicate with the machine, I can try to pinpoint the location."

"Bianca, if I may be of some assistance, I can inform you that Mr. Bartokomous is on the small island of Atropos," R.O.B. stated.

Larry did a double take as a new wave of panic washed over him "What? Did you say Atropos? Bianca, we have to get him out of there! He has no idea that Mypos is gone!"

"R.O.B., you saw Balki?" Bianca gasped.

"Yes. He could not sleep and wanted to see a sheep."

Larry moved towards the waist-high robot slowly, his hands up as if he were planning to choke it. "You saw Balki and you didn't try to stop him?"

Bianca grabbed Larry's shoulder and gasped again. "Larry, I've found him. Now maybe I can communicate with him if he's close enough to the machine." Larry watched hopefully as she placed the flat screen closer to her lips. "Balki, can you hear me? Balki, talk to me if you can hear me. It's Bianca."

"Bianca?" came the static-filled response. "Is this an optical illusion?"

"Balki, get inside the machine and press the power button quickly! I think I can get you back!"

"Balki, listen to Bianca; she can help you!" Larry chimed in.

"Cousin, I'm scared! There are men here who want to hurt me! I don't wanna die!" he sobbed.

"Balki, get in the machine!" Larry urged.

"O–okay; I'm inside. Please hurry!"

Bianca tapped a button on her flat screen and within seconds, the egg-shaped machine returned with a terrified, disheveled Balki.

Larry threw open the doors and grabbed Balki for an embrace. "Oh, thank God you're alright!"

Balki then hugged Bianca before turning back to Larry. "Oh, Cousin, it was terrible! I only wanted Dimitri back, but I entered Mypos on the screen. Cousin, Mypos no longer exists! They ran my family out and renamed the island Atropos! When these men find that I am Myposian, they threaten me and say they want rid of me. Cousin, I was almost mint meat!"

Bianca looked at Larry, wide-eyed! "That's why you didn't want to tell him about Mypos!"

Larry glanced at her nervously. "Wha-what are talking about? I never said that."

"Cousin, I ask you to look up Mypos and you say the machine is broken," Balki reminded him.

Larry laughed nervously. "Did I say that? I really can't remember."

"You lied to Balki! You tell me that machine is broken when you knew the whole time that Mypos no longer exist! Why? Why you do such a terrible thing?"

"Balki, I–" Larry started, but Balki quickly turned and fled the room. Larry then turned to Bianca, fire in his eyes. "Why…did you do that?"

"I'm sorry. It slipped. You never told me Mypos was his home! I just thought maybe he knew someone from there! How was I supposed to know?"

"Well, now Balki will never talk to me again. Not that I blame him. I should've told him the truth from the very beginning," Larry turned away, his shoulders slumping miserably.

Bianca placed her arm around him. "Larry, it's okay. You just made an error in judgment. I'll talk to him. Things will work out again, you'll see.

Larry looked at her and gave her a weak smile. He was glad she was there, but he knew he had messed up big time. He walked back to the living room and fell onto the sofa with a plop. Last night, he'd felt on top of the world. Now–less than six hours later–he felt as if he were falling and the world was crashing all around him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"Balki, come out; I really need to talk to you," Bianca said softly as she knocked on the guest bedroom door. "Please?"

"No. I not come out. I too upset," came the muffled reply.

"Balki, Larry's not here. He felt terrible and said he needed to take a walk. It's just you and me."

A few seconds later, Bianca heard the door slowly click and a red-faced Balki emerge.

Bianca grabbed Balki's hand and pulled him over to the sofa. "Balki, I'm so sorry about what happened. Really I am."

"Did you know the truth, too?" Balki asked, taking her by surprise.

"Did I know Larry didn't want to tell you about Mypos? Yes. Did I know the significance of Mypos? No. If I had known you were Myposian, I would've tried to convince Larry to talk to you. That's not the point of this conversation, though. There's something else that's been bothering me ever since Larry left ten minutes ago. Something that I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Balki turned to her, curious. "If you want me to forgive him, I don't know if I can do that. He betrayed me and he lied to me. Those Ky-Dels would have chopped my head off and put it on a pu pu platter!"

Bianca shook her head. She obviously wanted Balki to forgive his cousin, but she just couldn't concentrate on that when so many other questions loomed in her head. She had seen just how dedicated Balki was when it concerned his home land. He had a deep, unconditional love for his family and friends and she knew that Balki would die if anyone tried to harm them. "No, that's not what I want to talk to you about. I know how much you love Mypos and your family. But this is the future and I want to know how the Ky-Dels were able to take over without you to put up a fight and save your family! Larry was telling me that your devotion to your country and family came before anything else and that you would fight to the death if anyone tried to destroy that. So why were the Ky-Dels able to take over Mypos and re-name it Atropos so easily five years ago? I read online and it said nothing about a Balki Bartokomous trying to stop them or trying to fight them. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I–I think so. Let me see: you want to know why future me did not raise sugar cane to save my family and land from being destroyed, right?"

Bianca smiled. "Yes! The Balki I know and the Balki your cousin knows would never admit defeat and would never stop fighting for his family's freedom. So, I can't help but wonder: why did you?"

"You know, that is a good question. Is too bad we don't know me from the future. Then we could ask him!"

Bianca beamed as she squeezed Balki's shoulder. "Then why don't we find him? It shouldn't be too hard. You can find almost anyone on the internet!"

The two of them quickly ran over to the computer that Larry 'claimed' to be broken and Balki watched as Bianca quickly typed in his name in the box at the top.

Suddenly, the screen changed and Bianca let out a gasp, covering her mouth in horror.

"Bianca, what is it? What do you find? Can we talk to future me?" Balki asked hopefully.

"Balki, I–I'm so sorry. We can't talk to future you. We can't even talk to you five years ago to warn you about the Ky-Dels!"

"Well, why not? Did I fall off the mat?"

Bianca shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "It says here you and Larry died."

Balki opened his mouth to form words but only one word was able to squeak its way out. "When?"

"It says you both perished due to carbon monoxide poisoning from your kitchen stove," Bianca whispered.

"When?" Balki repeated.

"May 24th," Bianca told him, her tear-brimmed eyes staring up into his own. "May 24th, 1986. The day you saw me at the market. The day you saw my machine–"

"The day the egg brought us here," Balki finished, wiping his eyes.

As Balki said those last words, Bianca's mouth formed a small 'o'. If the two of them were supposed to have died that day, then why–or better yet how–could they still be here unless…

Unless my machine saved your lives, she thought, unsure if she should be happy or afraid that she had single-handedly changed the course of history.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Larry walked through the front door feeling rejuvenated yet still depressed from what happened earlier. He needed to talk to Balki; he needed to make things right. He needed to–

"Cousin! You're alive!" Balki cried out joyfully, running to Larry and hugging him tightly. "I was hoping you would be!"

"Of course I'm alive, Balki; I just went for a walk. Look, Balki; I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I lied about Mypos. I wanted to tell you, I just didn't know how and I panicked. Can you ever forgive me?"

Balki pulled away but still held onto his arms. "Cousin, I forgive you. I am still upset that you did not tell me the truth, but right now I am just so glad that we are both here now."

Larry scratched his head. "Where else would we be other than together right now?"

"Well, we gotta talk about that," Balki replied, looking away.

Now Larry was really confused. When Larry had left, Balki never wanted to speak to him again and now Balki was acting as if Larry had been missing for days with no explanation. Not only that, but Bianca was nowhere in sight. Even R.O.B., who usually charged in the corner of the living room was gone. Something was definitely up and it was probably bad. Considering Balki wasn't smiling, he knew it had to be bad. "Balki, what's going on?"

"Cousin, come; sit," Balki led him to the sofa. As soon as they were both seated, Balki rested his arm over the back of the sofa's headrest and faced him. "Cousin, while you were away and I was madder than a wet herring, Bianca come to talk to me about why I never tried to stop the Ky-Dels from taking over Mypos five years ago."

"Yeah, I wondered that myself. So, what happened?"

"Well, Bianca typed in my name on the machine over there–the one you claim to be broken–and found that I could not have stopped them because…"

"The Ky-Dels had too many men? They threatened bodily harm to you and your family? They were holding Dimitri hostage?" Larry guessed when Balki trailed off.

"Of course not; don't be ridiculous! The reason is–the reason why–the reasoning–"

"Balki, just tell me!" Larry exclaimed.

"You and I," he said slowly, "were gone."

Larry shook his head as if to clear his mind. "It took you that long to say? You couldn't fight the Ky-Dels because we were gone? Boy, I thought you were going to tell me something horrible!" he laughed nervously.

"Cousin, let me put it another way: you and I were up there," Balki said, pointing above.

"We were on the roof? Balki, what are you trying to say?"

Balki suddenly grabbed Larry by his shirt and pulled him close until their faces were inches apart. "I'll say it one more time: you…and I…were…gone!"

Suddenly, Balki's words hit Larry like a ton of bricks and his eyes opened wide. "We were dead! You and I died? But how? Why? When? Where? By whom?"

"Cardio exercise poisoning from the oven in our apartment," Balki answered, his voice breaking. "Oh Cousin; it was terrible! If only we could have been there!"

Larry raised an eyebrow at Balki. While his Myposian cousin rarely made sense, this was way over Larry's head. How did Balki know that they were dead? Was he somehow psychic or just completely delusional?

"Larry, Balki is telling you the truth," Bianca's voice said from behind, causing Larry to jump.

"But–but, I don't understand! We can't die! I have so much to live for!"

"Cousin, don't lose your head. We have been dead for a long time now. We died when the egg came to our apartment and bring us here."

Larry shot up and paced the room frantically. "So you mean we're already dead? You mean to tell me that we're stuck in some sort of limbo? I–I didn't even get to tell Jennifer goodbye–"

Balki stood up and placed his hand on Larry's shoulder. "Cousin, you can do the limbo some other time. You and I–we are not really dead–just dead in nineteen-eighty-six!"

"Bianca, help me!" Larry pleaded, turning to her. "I can't be dead!"

"According to the internet, you and Balki died of carbon monoxide poisoning the day my machine arrived at your apartment. But I can assure you that you nor Balki are dead now. My machine must've took you away before you both started to get sick. So, my time machine quite possibly saved your lives and changed the course of history. I'm glad that it did, but I don't understand the impeccable timing! Another thing I don't understand is why it came to your apartment at all! I wanted to retrieve my magazine from the store after I'd left it, but it disappeared without me and appeared at your place, instead, saving your lives. How did all this happen?" Bianca asked.

"I believe I can be of some assistance with that, Miss Bianca," R.O.B.'s voice replied as he wheeled himself into the room.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Balki looked from Bianca to Larry to R.O.B. and then back again. He couldn't help but to think back to when R.O.B. was helping him try and retrieve Dimitri early that morning. R.O.B. had asked if Balki had gotten Dimitri from Mypos–which he had–but what did his robot friend say just before Bianca's egg machine took off? It sounded like…

"I cannot let you do that!" Balki cried out as he remembered, causing both Bianca and Larry to stare at him in confusion.

"Why don't you want R.O.B. to explain himself, Balki?" Bianca asked.

"No, that not what I meant. You see, when I tried to bring back Dimitri from the apartment, R.O.B. said he would help me. I use the alphabet buttons to write Dimitri's name on the little green screen and R.O.B. tell me to write Mypos on the screen, too. After I did, I tell R.O.B. that I cannot wait to go back to the apartment and bring back Dimitri. Before I leave, I hear R.O.B. say something else, but I not remember what it is until now! He says 'I cannot let you do that'!" Balki explained as if it were a pleasant yet normal memory.

"R.O.B., why would you not allow Balki to go back to our apartment yet go to Mypos, instead?" Larry asked sharply.

Bianca glared at Larry. "Larry, I'll ask the questions. R.O.B., why would you not allow Balki to go back to their apartment yet go to Mypos, instead?"

"Because it was not safe. The owner of their apartment–Mr. Donald Twinkicetti–had not yet been notified of the carbon monoxide and had not fixed the problem. I could not allow Mr. Balki to go back to the apartment at the given time he wished," the tinny voice responded.

"Well, I'll be snookered," Balki snorted. "He knew I would be deader than a doorknob if I went back to the apartment. What a smart little robot you are!"

"I also deceived you as well, Ms. Bianca. When you entered into the machine that you wished to retrieve your magazine, I knew the machine would take you to the apartment because Mr. Balki had the magazine you wished for. I caused your telephone to ring so that you would be distracted. If you had traveled back to nineteen-eighty-six and into their apartment, you would not have taken Mr. Balki and Cousin Larry with you and they would have perished. I am sorry for deceiving you, but you programmed me this way. Rule number sixty-four: if ever you know of harm coming to humans, do what you must to save them at all times."

Balki watched as Bianca's eyes welled up with tears. "He's right. I did program him to do what he could to save anyone from harm. He was doing exactly what he should. But why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Rule number forty-seven: do not brag," R.O.B. stated.

Balki smiled down at R.O.B. "Thank you for saving us from death's floor."

"I just can't believe my own technology tricked me," Bianca laughed.

"It's kind of treacherous when technology and teleporting time machines teach themselves tricks of the trade," Larry grinned.

"Is it true that the time machine can now totally teleport them without any tricks being traded between my technology?" Bianca asked R.O.B.

"Truthfully, in less than two hours, the time machine can totally teleport them to their apartment without tricks or treachery taught, told or traded," R.O.B. answered.

Balki placed one arm around his cousin and the other around Bianca. "Terrific."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"So, you're sure it's safe for them to go back to the apartment now?" Bianca asked her too-smart-for-his-own-good robot.

"It is perfectly safe. There is no longer a threat of carbon monoxide inside the apartment," R.O.B. confirmed.

Bianca smiled at Larry, feeling bittersweet about them leaving. She knew that they desperately needed to go back to nineteen-eighty-six, but she had to admit it was wonderful to have them there. It had been so much fun and made her realize she had been spending way too much time alone and working on her projects. It was time she went out and spent time with people–not just switches and dials and metal. She could only hope to someday meet two people half as wonderful as Larry and Balki.

"Well, I guess we should be going back then," Larry said, looking down and rocking back and forth on his feet. "Come on, Balki."

"Not yet," Balki replied. For a few seconds, the four of them stood awkwardly inside Bianca's garage. Then, to Bianca's surprise, Balki leaned forward and gave Bianca a warm embrace. "I'm gonna miss you," he cried.

"I'm gonna miss you, too," she repeated, choking back tears of her own. "You take care of each other, okay?"

"Promise."

"Uh, guys, if you'll excuse me for a minute," Larry abruptly stated before quickly walking away.

Bianca watched him go, shrugging before turning back to Balki. "Remember that you nor Larry can tell anyone about me or my time machine. They probably wouldn't believe you anyway, but just to be safe, you cannot say a word."

"My lips are concealed. Just promise me that you will come and visit us again. I–I don't want to never see you again."

"I promise. I'll never forget you. As long as I live, I will never forget you or Larry."

And Bianca had never meant anything more in her entire life.

* * *

"Cousin? Did you drown in there?" Balki knocked on the bathroom door. "I don't think the toilet will suck you in, but to be safe, when you flush, I suggest you step back."

"I'm not in the bathroom, Balki; I'm in the guest room," Larry hissed from the door to the right.

"Cousin, why are you in here? I thought you were ready to go home. Did you forget something?"

Larry looked down at his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I am ready–I mean, I thought I was–Balki, I'm just not good at saying goodbye. I can't wait to go home and see Jennifer again, but I also feel sad that we're having to say so long to Bianca."

Balki sat down on the bed besides Larry and put his arm around him. "Cousin, it's okay to be sad. In Mypos, we have a saying: 'Li-po-po dy nickee, ba-ba apropa ky-stickee nuna copa'. It means 'saying goodbye does not mean the end, but the beginning of a promise to always love them. Even though we are saying goodbye to Bianca, it doesn't mean we will forget her or she will forget us. It means we love her and will think of her often."

Larry looked up and bit his fingernails. "I'm really gonna miss her, Balki, I'm really gonna miss this house. I'm even gonna miss the self-flushing toilet," he choked.

Balki leaned over and hugged him. "I know. I already said goodbye to it. The water turned blue," he sobbed.

Larry raised his eyebrow in question, but said nothing.

Finally, Balki pulled away. "Cousin, are you ready to go home?"

Larry nodded and smiled as he allowed Balki to lead him back into the garage. "I'm ready."

"Okay," Bianca clasped her hands together. "All you have to do is step inside and press that button."

"Goodbye, R.O.B.; goodbye, Bianca," Balki waved at them both before entering the egg.

"Goodbye, Larry," Bianca whispered, giving him a warm hug and a soft peck on the cheek.

Larry blushed as he, too, stepped into the egg. "Goodbye, Bianca. Thank you for everything." He then turned to Balki. "Balki, would you like to press the button?"

"Well, of course I would; don't be ridiculous…which button was it again?"

"The red button that says 'Power'," Larry reminded, the smile never leaving his face.

"Oh, I knew that," Balki stated before he gently pressed the button.

The last thing Larry saw was Bianca and R.O.B. waving them off before the jolt of the machine sent both he and Balki crashing to the floor.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Balki and Larry had just exited the time machine when they heard a frantic knock at the door. Balki still couldn't believe that the apartment still looked exactly the same as it did when they had left. Not that he assumed anything had really changed, but he was still awed nonetheless.

"What are we going to do? The machine is still here!" Larry hissed, his normal neurotic self returning.

Suddenly, the egg shimmered and disappeared into thin air and Balki was amazed. "Wwoww," he breathed before Larry opened the door to their apartment.

"Oh, Larry–Balki–you're both alright!" Jennifer's panicked voice cried as both she and Mary Anne ran into the apartment, hugging them both.

"We were so worried! We came over a couple of days ago, but you weren't home. Then we tried to come back, but you weren't home then either," Mary Anne explained.

"We sorry to worry you but we had to leave to see a friend," Balki said, glancing over at Larry. Balki knew he couldn't lie to the girls, but he also knew of his promise not to tell them about the machine. It was a fine line, but as long as Balki didn't have to lie, he was okay.

"Well, we're glad you did. Larry, we came to your apartment yesterday and we could smell gas coming from inside!" Jennifer continued. "Mr. Twinkicetti had to come into your apartment and stop the gas leak."

"Wow. Did you hear that Balki? If we had been here, we might not have made it out alive!" Larry gasped, obviously over-acting.

"Good thing I told you to see our friend, hoh?" Balki asked.

"We're just glad you're okay!" Jennifer hugged Larry.

"Yeah, what she said," Mary-Anne leaned forward to give Balki a sweet kiss.

"Well, we'd better go. Come on, Mary-Anne. We've got an early flight in the morning," Jennifer said, hurrying to the door.

"Okay. Bye, Balki. I'm really glad you're not dead," she said, waving goodbye before they closed the door behind them.

"Goodbye," Balki replied.

"Well, how do you like that," Larry said smugly as they both plopped down on the sofa.

"Well," Balki began slowly. "It's a four-letter word with the word 'hat' in it, so I like it okay."

"No, Balki; I meant how do you like the way the girls were worried about us?"

"I don't like that the girls were worried, but I am glad Mr. Twinkicetti fixed the problem and I'm really glad we're not dead."

"Me, too."

Balki shifted in his seat and suddenly heard something crinkle like paper. Leaning forward, he reached in his back right pants pocket and pulled out a note.

"What's that?" Larry asked, leaning over.

"It says, 'I O U one robot and U O me one trip to Mypos. Love, Bianca'."

Instinctively, Larry reached inside his pants and pulled out a note of his own.

"What that?" Balki asked.

"I got a note, too. Mine says, 'I O U one plain coffee and U O me one dance. Love, Bianca'."

"Well, that was nice. And to think you didn't want to get in the egg," Balki reminded him.

"Yeah, I'll admit; I was skeptical. Once again, Larry Appleton was afraid to take a risk. I'm really glad I did, though."

"Because if you didn't, you would have been one dead duck-billed platypus."

Larry smiled thinly. "Well, there's that, but also, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful person like Bianca, seeing the future, and having a really good time."

"It is good to be home, though. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed with my blanket, Dimitri and the smell of goat hair to keep me warm and safe," Balki sighed.

Larry looked to Balki at the last part of his sentence before shrugging. "You know? I just thought of something we forgot to show Bianca; something that can be fun both in the past, present and future!"

"Jeopardy?" Balki guessed.

"No," Larry said before tapping Balki's shoulder.

"What?" Balki asked before smiling as his cousin lowered his face, gave an evil grin and said the magic words:

"Boochi, boochi, boochi!"

"You know," Balki began, not moving an inch. "There will be plenty of time to talk of the past and future, but you know what is most important right now?"

"What's that?" Larry asked.

"Beating your be-honkus at Boochi Tag," he replied, touching Larry's shoulder. "You're 'it'."

"Wait, you tricked me!" Larry cried.

"All is fair in present-day Boochi Tag and war," Balki grinned wickedly. "Boochi, boochi, boochi!"

* * *

"Yes. Just keep playing your silly little game," the man said slowly before letting a small laugh escape his throat. "Before long, you and your little time-hopping friend will meet again. Only next time, things won't be so perfect. Your lives will be anything but perfect."

A small grey and white cat purred happily as it rubbed its body against the man's leg.

"That's right, Cupydon," he murmured to the cat. "Very soon, we'll be standing tall on the wings of our dreams. Nothing's gonna stop us now!" he laughed manically. "Nothing!"


End file.
